Edward A. Powell to Chair New Buck Advisory Council

Retired CEO of USO and Former Deputy Secretary of Veterans Administration will lead group tasked with advancing the Institute’s scientific and educational mission

Novato, CA Febuary 15, 2011 The Honorable Edward A. “Ned” Powell has been appointed Chairperson of the newly formed Buck Advisory Council (BAC) – a prestigious group of men and women from the United States and around the world dedicated to helping advance the Buck Institute’s scientific and educational mission.

Powell is the retired President and CEO of the USO World Headquarters, the only global civilian organization supporting the U.S. military, which operates more than 130 centers around the world. Prior to joining the USO, Powell served as Assistant Secretary of Management (CFO) and Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Powell, who lives in Washington D.C., will lead the BAC as it provides advice and real-world perspective to senior staff, and sets the pace for philanthropy at the Buck Institute. “The Buck Institute is uniquely positioned to affect all of our lives,” said Powell. “As the pioneering research center for aging, the Buck’s efforts impact all of us. As a field, aging has often been over-looked; the public awareness of the connection between aging and disease is much too low. The mission of the BAC is to change this. It is a great privilege to engage the challenges facing the Institute and to have such a superb team to join me in the task.”

Powell and the BAC will work closely with Buck Institute President and CEO Brian Kennedy, PhD, as he sets strategic priorities for an institute focused on extending the healthy years of life. “I have no doubt that Ned Powell’s involvement with the Buck Institute will set us on a course for extraordinary success in the years ahead,” said Kennedy. “I am very grateful for the commitment Ned has made to our organization. I expect to draw heavily on his leadership experience as the Buck enters a new phase of growth and expansion.”

The USO saw significant expansion under Powell’s leadership. Its operating budget expanded from less than $40 million a year in 2002 to almost $250 million in 2008; the organization’s active donor base grew from 200,000 to more than 1.5 million individuals. Prior to joining the USO, Powell served as Assistant Secretary for Management (CFO) and Deputy Secretary at the VA. At the time the VA was the second largest cabinet department with a budget of more than $50 billion. During his tenure as CFO, the VA achieved its first-ever clean audit system; Powell also played an instrumental role in the integration of financial, operational and inventory management of the VA’s huge healthcare system.

About the Buck Advisory Council (BAC)The BAC comprises a diverse group of individuals from the United States and around the world. Members include leaders in government, business, finance, pharmaceuticals, law and other fields of endeavors. Many have served as advisors to governments, public commissions and nonprofit commissions. These leaders provide advice on strategic priorities, serve as ambassadors to raise the visibility of Institute achievements, and set the pace for philanthropy at the Institute. The BAC meets twice each year: in the San Francisco Bay Area each spring and in a foreign destination each fall. At these meetings, members participate in panel discussions with faculty and other experts and develop ideas to promote the Buck Institute globally as a leader in research on aging and age-related disease.

About the Buck Institute for Research on Aging:The Buck Institute is the only freestanding institute in the United States that is devoted solely to basic research on aging and age-associated disease. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to extending the healthspan, the healthy years of each individual’s life. Buck Institute scientists work in an innovative, interdisciplinary setting to understand the mechanisms of aging and to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Collaborative research at the Institute is supported by new developments in genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics technology. For more information: www.thebuck.org.